At the end of 2006, 85-year-old Priscilla Stovall was killed in her Clovis, California home. The person who killed her was Kelly Jones, the aide hired to help around the house. Jones was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after giving Ms. Stovall a lethal overdose of morphine and methadone.

These cases are showing up more and more often across the nation. Nursing home abuse isn't the only form of elder abuse. There are close to 1.6 million people employed in hom care, split equally between those who provide basic health services and those who perform basic housekeeping, cooking and nonmedical help. These two kinds of jobs are the second and third fastest-growing occupations in America, behind data processors.

These people typically receive between $10 to $15 dollars per hour and cost the government an average of $6,000 per year, as opposed to the $20,000 per year of a nursing home. They aren't required to receive any sort of special training and typically aren't overseen.

In states where employment agencies are required to do checks, applicants with criminal records can still slip through the cracks.

What can we do about these problems?

For one, you should always run an extensive background check on anyone who has contact with your loved one. Get in touch with your state representatives and demand that tighter regulations be enforced when agencies hire care givers.

Don't stand for nursing home abuse or elder abuse in any form.